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So much for college basketball lacking in drama, offensive talent and thrilling games.

In an NCAA championship game for the ages, the Louisville Cardinals ended a long drought, surviving 82-76 against a game Michigan squad to become champions for the first time since 1986.

Rick Pitino capped a week as good as any can get by becoming the first man ever to win it all with two different schools.

Earlier in the day, Pitino had been elected into the basketball Hall of Fame.

Hours later Luke Hancock saved the 35-5 Cardinals’ season. Again.

“Players put coaches in the Hall of Fame,” Pitino said sagely.

Players like Hancock.

The reserve who Pitino had called his school’s top offensive player, provided Louisville’s biggest daggers, just as he had against Wichita State, ending up with 22 points and 12 rebounds and was a deserved winner of the Final Four’s most outstanding player award.

He hit them when his team was reeling in the first half — three-in-a-row in fact after the Cardinals had been down 12 — and then nailed a huge one in the final three minutes, providing much-needed breathing space against the young Wolverines, who weren’t experienced enough to know that most teams quit long before that point.

Louisville took its first lead of the game when Wayne Blackshear nailed a three to start the second half and the kings of the comeback managed to survive a see-saw affair from there.

“We beat a great basketball team probably because we have the 15 toughest guys I’ve ever coached,” Pitino said as confetti fell.

The first half was one of the most entertaining 20 minutes seen all season and one of the best in the title game in years. A fitting end to a stellar Final Four.

With both teams running and gunning early, national player of the year Trey Burke shook off his worst outing of 2012-13 (1-for-8 against Syracuse) and scored seven quick points.

Michigan, finishing up at 31-8, didn’t look bothered by Louisville’s fearsome defence at all, but foul trouble forced Burke to the bench.

It was a pivotal moment, but not for the reason anybody expected. Instead of Michigan struggling, freshman backup Spike Albrech subbed in for Burke and put on a clinic, nailing four threes in the half for 17 points in all.

During the run, Albrecht drove to the hoop for a tough layup, then dove for a loose ball, getting it to Mississauga’s Nik Stauskas who nailed a three.

Albrecht had never scored more than seven points and was averaging under two per game heading in and it all seemed a little predestined.

Forget the Fab Five, at one point in the first half, Michigan freshmen scored 26 straight points.

With Albrecht providing the shooting, Stauskas didn’t see his usual time and was not a factor.

Like Wichita St. in the first half of the semifinal, Michigan did not look bothered by the Louisville press.

But as has been the case all year long, Louisville stormed back, again, behind Hancock, who poured in four threes of his own — including three in a row — in the half, robbing Michigan of the momentum it had been carrying.

Hancock’s heroics allowed Louisville to bounce into the locker room full of energy, trailing by just a single point in a game it shouldn’t have been in.

At that point, Michigan head coach John Beilein said at the half: “This is going to be one of the best games ever.”

He wasn’t far off. The only thing anybody could complain about were the officials.

Burke finished with 24 points, but counterpart Peyton Siva had a strong contest as well, collecting 18 points, five assists and six rebounds. Gorgui Dieng, the Senegalese big man was a force for Louisville as well, with eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks.

Louisville lost key reserve Kevin Ware to a gruesome injury earlier in the tournament which tested the team’s suspect depth, but Ware inspired them and said after: “They got the job done and I’m so proud of them. These are my brothers, you would think we came out of the same wombs.”

Meanwhile, Pitino made history completing the feat one thought impossible — winning a title at both Kentucky and Louisville.

Earlier in the day, upon officially being named to the hall, on his 37th wedding anniversary no less, after previously seeing his horse win a $750,000 U.S. race and his son get the head coaching job at Minnesota, Pitino had wondered if he was about to get hit by lightning.

It never actually happened, but Pitino, who matched the great John Wooden in wins, surely felt like it had when it was all over. In fact, he flinched as fireworks went off, perhaps expecting that bolt to come down after all.

Michigan’s stirring run ended just short again, as it had in the days of the Fab Five.